It started as a series of mass protests that were violently repulsed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It has since devolved into a sectarian civil war that has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

There appears to be no end in sight.

A week after an apparent chemical attack killed hundreds and with reports that a U.S.-led strike on Syria could be imminent, RFE/RL takes a look at the conflict in Syria from its beginnings, 30 months ago.

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Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us attransmission+rferl.org